1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved oil boom for containing a floating oil spill.
2. Background
Oil booms are devices used to contain oil spills on the open water and to prevent oil spills from spreading to environmentally sensitive areas. The booms may be stationary or towed by vehicles to concentrate the floating oil for recovery and removal from the water.
The current oil boom designs are bulky, difficult to store and difficult to deploy rapidly. These designs are generally inadequate for inclement weather on the open seas because rough waves can carry the oil over and onto the other side of the oil boom, defeating containment.
The oil booms that are used to concentrate the floating oil to a specific area are towed under tension. The resulting rigid oil boom will not always remain on top of the water surface, thereby increasing the likelihood of waves carrying oil over the boom, even when the boom is equipped with floats having excess buoyancy. Tension from being towed causes the oil boom with floats to resist the pressures of the water and, therefore, submerges the boom below the water line. Also, weathered crude oil may have the specific gravity of close to one and may be carried under the boom as the boom is towed through the water.